December the. Nature. of SA. Thinking differently about biodiversity conservation in SA. Project overview

Transcription

1 December 2016 the Nature of SA Thinking differently about biodiversity conservation in SA Project overview

2 Background South Australia is home to an astounding variety of environments: from spectacular coastlines to arid ranges, dense mallee to stony deserts, farmlands and urban parks to expansive, ephemeral wetlands and remote wilderness. These natural environments and the wildlife within are cherished and loved by many South Australians. They underpin our lifestyles and our livelihoods, our identity and our sense of place. Many people are doing fantastic work to protect and promote South Australia s natural diversity: in community groups, agencies, and non-government organisations, on public land and their own property. Nature in a new climate Our nature, while never static, is changing at an accelerating pace. From the dramatic shifts of climate change to the ongoing pressures from pests, weeds and habitat loss, we are facing challenges that pose a quandary for all of us. What can we do to help South Australia s nature flourish into the future? What should we make sure we hold onto? What should we stop? What new things can we try? The Nature of SA The Nature of SA is a partnership and process creating space for reflection and innovation. We are building shared visions and strategic policy directions for nature conservation in South Australia. We are crafting strategies that are inspiring, effective and wide-spread. Ultimately, we want to tap into the great potential of our leaders and community to ensure that future generations of South Australians will have a healthy natural environment. We recognise the challenge of nature conservation in a changing world, but we are finding hope in the universal values of nature in all people. Who doesn t love nature s rich and diverse dawn chorus?

3 Photo DEWNR Together we re finding new ways forward for nature conservation in South Australia

4 Photo South Australian Tourism Commission

5 What are we doing? The Nature of SA is supporting positive change in our approach to nature conservation and developing an achievable and enabling statewide strategy. Our work is in five streams Examining philosophy What s the most helpful way to think about conservation in a time of rapid change? We re using thinkers like Richard Hobbs and his personal reflections on grief and the loss of nature to help us come to terms with that change and respond in more effective ways. Testing and learning Our uncertainty in the face of climate change means we have to continually test our assumptions and learn from our experience. What are the most important shifts in our work in the future? What do we hold on to, what do we let go, what new things do we try? We re leading deliberate conversations to examine assumptions share learning. Examining operating rules What is the best operating environment for change? We re looking at what policy, legislation, and governance will best support our changing approach to conservation. Shifting the narrative Nature is an important part of the lives of all South Australians, but it often gets lost in public conversation and political decisions. We re investigating creative approaches to make our love of nature more visible? Building capability How can we fundamentally improve our capability to support nature conservation in the future? Throughout the process we re building sector capability with workshops on Common Cause, theory of change, climate change adaptation and community-based social change.

6 Where are we now? What s happened so far? What s next? We ve hosted a range of discussions, from individual meetings to team workshops with environmental NGOs to bigger workshops across the conservation sector. Those conversations will then be synthesised into a discussion paper of proposed shifts that need to happen to best support nature conservation in the future. In early 2017, we ll host a forum to explore these proposed shifts and come to an agreed understanding about what s most important. We ll then work with our sector and others to learn and improve our approach to nature conservation. Who are we? Building partnerships To start this off, we have formed a sector-wide partnership including people from Conservation SA, Nature Conservation Society, Trees for Life, Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), and regional and central offices of the Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR). We are assisted by the Australian Resilience institute and The Australian Centre for Social Innovation. We are funded by Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources and in-kind contributions from partners. Our strategy group is chaired by Vicki-Jo Russell AM (Trees for Life) and Vicki Linton (DEWNR). As the work progresses, the who are we will be constantly growing as we form new partnerships and as we engage more broadly in other sectors and the community.

7 Photo South Australian Tourism Commission South Australians love nature: 7/10 visit a state or national park each year

8 Project sponsors Get in touch Jill Woodlands (Conservation SA) Vicki Linton (DEWNR) v1.13 Photo DEWNR